Musical roots: Austria's JJ opens up on Eurovision 2025 win, dream collaborators and what comes next
What do you get when you combine the soaring soprano stylings of Maria Callas, the drama of '90s divas like Celine and Whitney, and the bass-heavy, brat-pop chaos of Charli XCX?
You get a winning Eurovision song.
JJ, Austria's newly crowned champion of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, brought all of that and more with his electrifying song "Wasted Love". Euronews Culture caught up with the rising star to unpack the whirlwind of the final - from early morning rehearsals to the surreal moment his name was announced as the winner.
The 24-year-old singer also reflects on his musical upbringing between karaoke nights and classical symphonies, and shares what's next for his music career now that the trophy is his.
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Euronews Culture: So, JJ, first of all, how are you? How have things been?
JJ: Yeah good. Very busy. I've been traveling around a lot, but I'm enjoying every moment. It's so fun.
Please walk us through the day of your Eurovision win, from waking up to taking home the trophy.
So I woke up, I think, around 7:30 because we had to leave at 8 to head to the arena. Once we got there, we did a bit of press, then hair and makeup, and had a rehearsal in one of the vocal warm-up rooms. We went through the song once or twice - kind of like a performance run-through, including how I would move on stage. Then we had the family show, which I think started at 1 PM. That was basically the dress rehearsal for the evening show. It was fun, and the crowd was already wild. They were so loud - it was just an insane feeling.
We also rehearsed the flag parade, and then I got to perform. While I was sitting there, I just thought, 'Okay, you just have to perform now. Tonight, soak in the moment, because this is the last time you're going to be on that stage." And yeah, it was so fun. I could really feel the energy of the crowd. After I came off stage, we did a bit more press - lots of interviews and TikToks and things like that. Then I took a one-hour nap because I needed some rest. Then it was the same thing again: waking up, having what I'd call a late lunch or early dinner, vocal warm-up, and then the show started. It became a routine by then - my semi-final was on Thursday, so I had the same schedule from Thursday to Saturday.
During the final I thought I felt really present, but looking back now, it all feels like a blur because everything happened so fast - I didn't even have time to process it. When I finally had a bit of downtime before my nap, that's when I could actually reflect on what just happened. But overall, it was such a fun experience. And the more I think back, the more memories come up. I'll be like, 'Oh yeah, that happened too.'
How did it feel when your name was announced as the winner?
That was just crazy. We'd been there all day, and the three-hour show felt so long. I was really glad I performed early because then I could just watch my friends and cheer them on. But the waiting part felt endless.
When they finally announced '178,' my team and I were freaking out. There's a video on social media where you can see them flinging me around like I was a fidget toy before pushing me toward the stage. It was all such a blur - so much happened at once. I was full of adrenaline and emotion - I felt every emotion you could think of. And yeah, I was just constantly sobbing.
What did you do the night after winning?
I performed again, then had to stay on stage for more interviews and official portraits. After that, we went to the press conference at the media center in Basel. I got back to the hotel at 3:30 AM, where I saw my sister and all the other delegations. We had a huge party in the hotel lobby until about 6 AM. So yeah, it was a long night!
Where is the trophy going to go?
Good question - I have no idea yet. So far, it's just been in my room. But I think we have a glass cabinet in the living room where we keep my grandmother's trophies. I think we'll just make space and put it next to hers. It's really heavy, and I don't have a suitcase for it, so I have to be careful. I don't want a NEMO experience - you know, they had a rough time with theirs breaking.
Tell us a bit about your musical background. Can you remember when you first fell in love with music?
That was in Dubai, where I grew up. We had karaoke parties every weekend at home - my family would invite friends and relatives. The first karaoke song I learned was 'Because of You' by Kelly Clarkson.
Big song...
Yeah, crazy, right? For a six-year-old to try and learn that! But it was fun. That was the first time I consciously learned a song. Then the next morning, my dad showed my siblings and me Beethoven - his symphonies - as well as Bach and Mozart. That's when my love for classical music began to grow too. So I basically grew up between both musical worlds, and my love for it just kept expanding.
Any other influences that inspire you most?
Yeah - Mariah Carey was a big influence. But really, the '90s divas - Celine, Whitney - they were a huge part of my life. My older sister and my mom loved listening to them, so I got a lot of inspiration through them.
And I also listened to the radio a lot. I loved Ariana Grande too. So I'd say I'm a mix. And now, especially with the electronic side, my love for Charli XCX has grown even more -especially with her brat album.
How did the operatic style come in? Did you learn that formally at school, or…?
After going through puberty, I realised that I still had a high singing voice, and I thought it would be a cool party trick to imitate a soprano - like, 'Let's just sing high notes!' So. I started teaching myself by listening to audio recordings of Maria Callas and Montserrat Caballé on YouTube. Since I love imitating voices and sounds, I tried to recreate how they projected their voices. That's how I started learning to sing classically. Later, I got into university and began studying professional vocal technique.
So your winning-song "Wasted Love" - it obviously starts as an operatic ballad and then takes off into techno banger. When you were writing the song, how did that idea come about? Did you always know you wanted to end it like that?
So it was the three of us in the studio - Tayah, the songwriter; Thomas, the producer; and I. And we'd never worked together before, so this was our first time. They didn't have any experience with classical music, and it was also my first time in a recording studio. So we just let our creative minds flow. We knew we wanted to switch things up - we wanted something that would, you know, gag the people.
Then our producer, Thomas, was like, 'What about techno?' And Tay and I were like, 'Okay, we'll see.' We took a quick bathroom break, and while we were gone, he'd already added some EDM/techno elements. When we came back, he was like, 'Guys, I did something.' And then he played it for us - and we were like, "Wow. This slaps." And from that day on, we just kept it.
How has life been since winning?
Yeah, it's been very fun - pretty busy, because I've been traveling a lot. But I love being in different places, meeting new people - especially with my amazing team. I honestly can't complain. I have the best people behind me, so I'm really happy about that.
I do get recognised a lot more. And sometimes, you know, when we're in a rush, I want to take a picture with people, but then I have to start running again. So it's a bit stressful in that sense - but it's fun. It's nice being recognised.
So what's next for you? What have you got going on - tour, album?
Yeah! So after the whole European press and promotion tour, I'm heading right back into the studio once I get home to make new music - because that's what everyone is very excited for. I'm so looking forward to it. I love being in the studio and experimenting a bit. We've got enough time, and we're gonna let Wasted Love have its well-deserved moment. And while that's still riding its wave, I'll be back in the studio working on what's next.
And where do you see your sound going?
I'll definitely keep my operatic sound - that's my USP, that's what people know me for. I want to hold on to my musical beginnings.But we'll see how commercial we can go - or what other experimental switch-ups might fit with that operatic sound. But I'm definitely keeping the high notes.
If you could team up with anyone - your dream collab - who's top of your list?
Obviously, Ariana Grande. But I'd also love to work with Charli XCX. That would be insane.
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